


Communication

by Ladyphantom5965



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27081691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyphantom5965/pseuds/Ladyphantom5965
Summary: House md short





	Communication

I needed this trial shift like a hole in the head. 5 years in a market café and I was at my wits end. Do this, do that, that is not good enough, you can improve. Definitely a 2 to 1 ratio when it came to motivation. Working as a hospital receptionist was not my first choice, but at this point in time I will take anything that comes to hand.  
Entering the Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital I was extremely nervous, did not help that I was terrified of going to the hospital or the dentist in general, all my negative thoughts would just pile up on top of each other,  
`Hi can I help you? ` I must have zoned out for a moment as one of the hospital staff came up to me,  
`Hi yes, I have a trial this morning as a receptionist. I`ve spoken with a Doctor Lisa Cuddy` the lady clicked on instantly,  
` ah miss Tyler, your, wow almost an hour early` I was always one for being early to most things, especially job interviews and trials, my mother always told me to make good first impressions, was another thing trying to keep it up,  
`sorry about that, I wanted to see how long it would take to get from my home to here, I didn’t want to be late or get really badly lost on the way` that was a bit much but the lady seemed to find it funny to listen to`  
`nothing to worry about honey. Well I will not make you wait around here, let us get you started`

Having worked in customer service for so long, I easily slipped into the part of receptionist, mostly consisting off confirming people`s appointments and learning about how to take phone calls as well as using the computer. Being that person who didn’t get sick very often, it surprised me how many people were actually waiting to see a doctor. After their appointments, pretty much all of them were prescribed Motrin or Amoxil, though to be frank none of them seemed to be overly positive with the results, most of them were mumbling under their breath about the doctor treating them. About halfway through my trial, a mother and her young daughter came in, mother miserable and the child was happily bouncing around without a care in the world,  
`Caroline Johnson for a doctor House` she looked dead to the world, as imagine most mothers do, a member of staff who I was shadowing checked her in and she took a sit in the waiting room whilst completely ignoring her child,  
`that is the third time she has come her in a month, some people just cannot cope with their kids` she whispered to me. I`m not sure how well I could cope with one of my own,  
`Caroline sit down now! ` her sudden raise in voice startled everyone in the waiting area, her child`s lower lip trembled at her mothers’ anger. At that point, a man entered the waiting room, he looked old and miserable and leant heavily on a walking stick,  
`a miss Johnson` I`m guessing that was Doctor House. The mother grabbed her daughters’ hand forcefully and almost dragged her into the consulting room, my love of children made it extremely hard to watch and I could not tear my eyes away from her,  
`you freshman` he motioned for me to enter the room, the staff nodded her approval, and I went into the consulting room,  
` so Miss Johnson, back again, same problem I imagine` he was very blunt, but she looked very use to it`  
`I do not know what to do with her, its like she is possessed by the devil, she does not do it for her father or my mother, just me. Both of them are blaming me, my mother doesn’t give a jack and her father is just as useless` the little girl was on the brink of tears, she looked up at me and I motioned for her to come over to me as she did,  
`if you believe the father is no good then why did you have a child with him` I stroked the girls face and smiled at her as the mother got agitated,  
`once again its my fault as per always, you know why don’t you show a single mother some sympathy` House pursed his lips,  
`freshman, take this ladies child outside please` I took Caroline’s hand in mine and we left the room. Once we left, I got down to her height and spoke to her gently,  
`don’t be upset sweety, your mum is just a bit tired that is all` she looked at me and shook her head`  
`Mummy doesn’t sleep at night, she works at night` I didn’t quite understand what she meant,  
`does she work in a hospital like this? is she a nurse? ` she shook her head again, sterner this time,  
`she dances at night-time, she does it at home sometimes for people. I`m not suppose to say` she whispered the last part like it was a secret.  
Leaving Caroline with the lady at the desk, I knocked on the door, instead of a reply House came to the door,  
`Yes? `  
`Caroline just told me her mum works at night, by the sounds of it at a strip club, she also takes her client home, but I realise she is only young so she might be over exaggerating a little` he thought about it for a second and then closed the door` I then felt a little body grab hold of my leg, it was Caroline,  
`the nice lady at the desk said its break time` I picked up Caroline and we sat down together, she had a glass of milk and a sandwich whilst I had a cup of tea,  
`am I in trouble` she said quietly,  
`not at all`.

About an hour later I took Caroline back down to the waiting room, since we hadn’t been called I was afraid her mother would be worried, but when we got to the waiting room she was nowhere to be found, I left Caroline to speak to the lady at the desk,  
`Have you seen her mother? ` the lady then looked sad and looked at Caroline,  
`she left, not even a goodbye or asking where her daughter was` I could not believe what I was hearing,  
`freshman? ` Dr House had appeared next to Caroline, he took her into his office, and I followed,  
`you`re father will pick you up from here, he`s on his way` he said calmly to Caroline and then turned to me,  
`she was right. Seems that her mum was working the graveyard shift at a stripper’s club, child goes to sleep, she goes to work and gets back home in time to send her child of to school. No wonder she was so grumpy. Good work freshman. You have got the job` I was happy but also relieved for Caroline,  
`What`s a stripper? ` neither of us answered that question.


End file.
